Study Off Campus in Chicago: Experience Theater in Chicago
If you think of Chicago as a sports town with its many professional teams, or as a great place to tour famous museums, or as a city of incredible architecture, you would be right! But one thing you shouldn’t overlook during your Chicago internship experience is the theater scene of Chicago. In variety and quality, it rivals New York and London — in fact, the character of Chicago theater is so representative of the city and its neighborhoods that experiencing it is integral for our students who are studying off campus in Chicago.
The Second City and Improv in Chicago
Chicago is primarily known for its comedy and improv. Like Hollywood calls to aspiring movie stars, our beautiful city hosts the best up-and-coming improv and sketch comedians in the nation at The Second City theater in the Old Town neighborhood. Celebrating “50 years of funny,” The Second City trains writers and actors who have gone on to star in Saturday Night Live, 30 Rock, The Office, Curb Your Enthusiasm and many major motion pictures.
Some of the most famous Second City alums include Joan Rivers, Alan Alda, Alan Arkin, Jerry Stiller, John and Jim Belushi, Bill Murray, Dan Akroyd, Eugene Levy, Mike Myers, Chris Farley, Steve Carrell, Steven Colbert and Tina Fey, among countless others. While you’re in Chicago, you can see the birth of comical genius at The Second City.
There’s a large theater for the main show, as well as a more intimate one for longer running shows. No matter what you see, crowd participation is a must, so come armed with ideas and a good attitude! With material that is often based in current events and the politcal atmosphere, a show at The Second City can definitely be a conversation starter. Plus, you can enroll in writing or improv classes at their training center and make your own start.
The collaborative nature of Chicago improv is a must-have experience while living in the city. Luckily, you don’t have to visit just one theater to find it. Community and college theaters across Chicago have weekly improv and sketch comedy shows that vary in length, price and topic. While The Second City is the most famous, you can see budding comedians honing their angle throughout the city’s neighborhoods and even get on stage yourself.
The Lookingglass Theater
Founded by Northwestern University alumni, The Lookingglass Theater Company is a growing company that has become a mainstay in the Chicago theater scene. Now in its 21st season, the company resides in a historic home in the center of downtown Chicago on Michigan Avenue — the Water Tower Water Works building. Taking in a show at The Lookingglass Theater lets you into a distinct Chicago landmark while also introducing you to one of the more provocative theater companies in the city.
The shows put on by The Lookingglass Theater run from traditional to modern, and the company has shown 52 original works in its run. Their most famous works focus on the intellectual and physical elements of theater. Their current production, Trust, is written and directed by David Schwimmer, famous as Ross on the TV show Friends. In its exploration of the dangers of modern communication technologies, it involves projection, video, photos, texting and live chat for a truly multimedia theater experience.
Goodman Theater & Cadillac Palace Theater
For truly famous theater in Chicago, you can visit the theater district of the downtown Loop area. There you’ll find the historic Goodman and Cadillac Palace Theaters with famous faces and hit plays. The Goodman was founded in 1925 and is the oldest and largest non-profit theater in Chicago. It has been a part of Chicago’s art culture for over 80 years, so in addition to its classic and contemporary works of theater, it also brings a sense of history to its productions.
Meanwhile, the Cadillac Palace Theater, founded just after the Goodman in 1926, is the home of Broadway in Chicago. For big ticket musicals and plays, this is traditional theater experience. A play at the Cadillac Palace Theater will give you insight not just into Chicago’s art world but the national theater scene. However, in its past the Cadillac Palace Theater has shown everything from vaudeville to movies, but now is known as a national theater landmark, showing well known shows like Les Miserables and The Phantom of the Opera, and premiering shows like The Producers, The Color Purple and Aida.
The Steppenwolf Theater Company
Founded by Gary Sinise, Terry Kenney and Jeff Perry in the suburbs of Chicago in the ’70s, The Steppenwolf has since moved into Lincoln Park and become one of the most prominent theater companies in the U.S. By featuring up-and-coming and mid-career playwrights, The Steppenwolf has given exposure to many artists that become important on a national level. Many plays that premiered at The Steppenwolf have gone on to win international acclaim, including winner of the Tony Award for Best Play, The Grapes of Wrath, and winner of multiple Tonys and a Pulitzer Prize, August: Osage County.
The Steppenwolf has launched the careers of many famous actors like its founder Gary Sinise, along with John Malkovich, Joan Allen, John Mahoney, Martha Plimpton and Laurie Metcalf. Its history of challenging plays provides a theater experience that is satisfying for theater neophytes and experienced theater-goers.
Community Theater in Chicago
Along with these major players, Chicago is the proud host of many community and neighborhood theater companies, each making important contributions to the art and culture of the city.
Chicago Center has special relationships with many local theater companies and encourages our students to visit these small theaters with as much enthusiasm as the large ones. Bailiwick Chicago, a diverse theater collective, and Teatro Luna, a company comprised entirely of Latina women, are two of our favorites. A theater experience with one of these small theaters gives you an even closer relationship to the city through experiencing its community’s voice in a dramatic or comedic production.
Whether you are interested in actually participating in the arts through a Chicago internship or you just want to learn more about the city and its culture during your time at the Chicago Center, diving into Chicago’s theater scene will be rewarding.